I want to tell a variety of stores in a secondary world, told at different times from different cultural views. By default fantasy works include a map. I don't like most of the maps. When I think of mapmaking I think of this saying "The map is not the territory". I want the map, and mapmaker, to be part of the story. I also want more historically accurate maps. That is, cartography that is more historically accurate as to the tools and skills that existed at historical points in time. I am not a fan of Tolkienesque fantasy maps, I'd like maybe one at some point.

What I'm looking for ultimately is a series of maps of the same world, from different points of view, that are reminiscent of maps like the Mappa Mundi and the Tabula Rogeriana. So in a sense I want someone who is also interested in the history of cartography.

Therefore I'd prefer to build a relationship with a cartographer who is interested in doing many maps for me over time, and might also be alright serving as a resource from time to time with questions of climate and geography, someone who is interested in secondary worldbuilding.

I tried making maps for my world, hand drawn, using campaign cartographer, and using Wonderdraft. I'm dissatisfied with the results. I'm not particularly good at that sort of art. I'm also not an expert on things like Hadley cells and convection currents and things like that. I'd prefer to collaborate with someone about things like geology and climate. Therefore the initial commission would be for a sattelite type map that I will never willingly publish or show to virtually anyone, which will be an "accurate" to scale representation of the world, hopefully with multiple layers available, like elevation, then waterfall, then climate. I'd ask that you similarly not share or publish the map to your portfolio, as all my work is in deep pov and I don't ever want the reader to know "the truth" but always be guessing at which things are real or lies or hallucinations, and this includes the maps. This map would be a rework of the map I did in wonderdaft.

This map would then be used as the basis for the future maps, which would in their own turn be created "in-world" by specific fictional characters wherein we try to estimate what biases and requirements would be present in the mapmaking (so, for example, a king hires a cartographer, and he is a vain king, and it's clear the map should be distorted somewhat to emphasize the size and power of the king's kingdom).

The initial "true map" I'd like copyright and the right to commercial use and to prevent you from sharing it in your portfolio. The later maps I'd like copyright and commercial use, however you could share those in your portfolio.

I want to pay you what you are worth. I don't really know what that is, I'm not that kind of artist. Sadly my resources are not without limit, and I hope you would take into consideration that fact and consider a sort of sliding scale where your compensation increases as I publish stories and my revenue grows. But I don't expect you to work on spec or eat exposure.

If you're interested post below, with contact info, and in a few days i'll put together questions and then email them out and then judge the responses and make a choice. I don't have pm access on this forum yet, I've only posted a couple of times.

*wow that Captcha is ridiculous*